Mark Dawes, Staff Reporter

TV host Alysia Moulton (centre), Keisha Williams (left) and Kadia Burrell unleash themselves in worship at Best Dressed 50 Fest in Montego Bay. - Photo by Richard Morais

The Rev Peter Garth, co-chair of the Jamaica Broilers Group's Best Dressed 50 Fest which ended last Sunday, has described the islandwide gospel festival as a "tremendous success".

According to Garth, the attendance at rallies in Montego Bay, Mandeville and Kingston exceeded the expectations of the organisers.

Best Dressed 50 Fest events had a combined attendance of nearly quarter million persons. From those who attended, 10,000 decisions were recorded where people became born-again Christians, Garth said.

The family festival was conceived as a means of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Jamaica Broilers Group. The event was staged in Mandeville, April 26-27; Montego Bay from May 2-3; and in Kingston from May 3-4.

The 50 Fest organisers also conducted devotional and other ministry to 20,000 students drawn from various schools islandwide.

According to the minister, young people constituted 50 Fest's prime target group.

He said, "We wanted to reach the young people, but at the same time we took the event as a family festival and many, many families came to the festival. There is no doubt that the young people and children were reached.

"On Saturday alone in Kingston, over 1,000 children responded to the gospel in the children's village. Also, based on the decision cards, many young people responded."

The event is a significant milestone in the history of evangelism in Jamaica.

Garth, president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals, explained, "For the first time in the history of national crusades it can be reported that a budget is set aside to employ persons to deal with the follow-up. These persons will follow up the pastors to see what is going on with the converts as well as keep in touch through mail, email and text messaging."

Work continues

Garth

In the aftermath of 50 Fest, Garth said the various church umbrella groups that united for the event will continue to work together.

"We will continue to look at national issues and what can be done to sustain the present good mood of the local churches," he said.

Six umbrella church groups, representing 96 per cent of Jamaica's Christian community, joined forces to organise 50 Fest. The groupings were the Church of God in Jamaica, the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals, the Jamaica Association of Full Gospel Churches, the Jamaica Council of Churches, the Jamaica Pentecostal Union (Apostolic), and the West Indies Union of Seventh-day Adventists.

mark.dawes@gleanerjm.com